Sydney by train

Highlights

Sydney trains

Sydney has an extensive rail network that operates in and around the city centre to the greater metropolitan area. A light rail and interstate service also operate as part of the country’s extensive rail network.

The network is made up of several easy-to-follow, colour-coded lines. Ticket prices are usually based on the distance travelled, and can be purchased at stations, selected convenience stories and newsagents or online.

The main station for both the suburban and country rail services (operated by TrainLink) is Central Station. Other main rail exchanges are Bondi Junction, North Sydney and Strathfield. Timetables and route planning are available from the Transport NSW Info website.

In Sydney, Opal is the only ticket you need to get around on all public transport including trains, ferries and buses. Simply load value onto your Opal Card online, in person or set up an automatic top-up. When you tap on at an Opal Card reader to start your journey, and tap off at the end of your journey, your fare is automatically calculated and deducted from the value stored on your Opal Card. Enjoy the benefits of daily travel caps and a $2.50 Sunday cap. You can find more information here.

For further up-to-date and detailed information on Opal cards, trip planning, night buses and real time information apps visitt the Transport NSW Info website and use the route planning tool.

Travelling between Sydney Airport and the city centre is also made easy with Airport Link, which departs Central Station every 10 minutes during weekday peak hour. Weekend services run every 20-40 minutes.

Please note there are some upgrades and improvements are currently in place for commuters around Wynyard Station. Passenger services will be maintained and the station will remain open for business during the upgrade, but before you start your journey you should check whether any of these will affect your trip. Click here to find out more.

There are hundreds of local bus routes that operate in the city, suburbs and beyond. Buses on major routes operate 24 hours a day. Extremely user-friendly and covering much of the greater Sydney region, buses are a convenient way to get around Sydney.

Sydney Ferries and private ferry services from Circular Quay take you around Sydney Harbour, including Darling Harbour, Manly and Taronga Zoo, the Lower North Shore and Eastern Suburbs, and up the Parramatta River. Last ferries from Circular Quay leave at various times between 6.45pm and 12.20am.

You can catch light rail all the way from Central Station in the Sydney CBD to Dulwich Hill in Sydney’s Inner West. Major stops for visitors to Sydney include Paddy’s Market, Darling Harbour, The Star and the Fish Markets.